If you have been off work for less than seven days your GP cannot provide one of these certificates. In these cases patients must obtain a ‘SSP Employee’s Statement of Sickness Form’ (SC2) often referred to as a ‘Self Certification Form’. These are available from employers or via the HMRC website on the following link:
Patients who have been off work due to sickness for more than seven days may require a ‘Statement of Fitness for Work Certificate’ from their GP. These certificates replace the old sickness certificates and employers often require these to pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).